Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2007-08: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins played for the Burnaby Winter Club Bruins. He was named MVP of the 2008 Western Canada Bantam Championships. Nugent-Hopkins was chosen first overall in the 2008 WHL Bantam Draft by the Red Deer Rebels.

2008-09: Nugent-Hopkins saw hi first WHL action, scoring 2 goals and adding 4 assists in 5 games for Red Deer. For most of the season, he played for the Vancouver NW Giants. Nugent-Hopkins was named tournament MVP for the Mac's AAA midget hockey tournament, and also was named the 2008 BC Minor Hockey Player of the Year.

2009-10: Nugent-Hopkins' rookie season in the WHL with the Red Deer Rebels. He appeared in 67 games, scoring 24 goals and adding 41 assists for 65 points. Nugent-Hopkins played in 4 playoof games for the Rebels, picking up 2 assists. He was named the 2010 WHL Rookie of the Year, and was a finalist for the CHL Rookie of the Year award that was won by the OHL's Matt Puempel. Nugent-Hopkins played for Team Pacific at the 2010 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, where he picked up 1 goal and 4 assists in 5 games for that squad.

2010-11: In 69 games for the Rebels, Nugent-Hopkins scored 31 goals and added 75 assists for 106 points, a point total that was good for fourth overall in the WHL. His assist total was the best in the WHL. In 7 playoff games for the Rebels, Nugent-Hopkins scored 4 goals and chipped in 5 assists for 9 points. He represented Canada at the 2010 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament where he was Canada's leading scorer with 5 goals and 2 assists in 5 games. Nugent-Hopkins was invited to the tryout camp for Canada's entry at the 2011 World Junior Championship but missed the cut. He played for the WHL squad in the 2010 CHL Subway Super Series. Nugent-Hopkins played for Team Orr at the 2011 CHL Home Hardware Top Prospects Game, which was victorious in their 7-1 win over Team Cherry. Nugent-Hopkins was named the Player of the Game for Team Orr as he registered 2 assists on the game.

2011-12: Nugent-Hopkins shared the points lead for NHL rookies with Colorado's Gabriel Landeskog despite skating in just 62 games. He scored 18 goals with 34 assists and was minus-two with 16 penalty minutes; missing twenty games after suffering a shoulder injury in January. He was selected to play in the NHL All-Star Game but was unable to play due to the injury. He played for Canada at the 2012 IIHF World Championship tournament in April; scoring 4 goals with 2 assists in eight games and finishing plus-two with 4 penalty minutes. Canada finished fifth.

Talent Analysis

A creative playmaker and an above-average skater, he possesses tremendous anticipation, and an ability to find open ice near the opposition’s goal. While he is a little undersized he is very effective operating in traffic and is very comfortable putting himself in high traffic situations. He is a very smart player, thinking the game at a high level, which shines through in his excellent positioning, angles taken, and his impressive defensive game.

Future

Nugent-Hopkins went from first overall pick to immediate top six forward with the Oilers, a role he will most likely occupy for more than a decade going forward. He is already a top line talent at just 18 years old.

Photo: Although his contributions didn't come on the scoresheet, Team Canada defenseman Scott Harrington was a steady, reliable performer at the 2013 World Junior Championship (courtesy of Chapin Landvogt/HF)

The expectation for Canada is always the same: nothing short of a gold medal. But in recent history, the results have fallen short.

After a pair of silver medals and a bronze over the last three World Juniors, Canada was once again tasked with bringing home the gold at the 2013 World Junior Championship in Ufa, Russia.

Photo: Team Canada defenseman and Carolina Hurricanes prospect Ryan Murphy generated a number of shots on goal, but was not able to generate much offense at the 2013 WJC (courtesy of Chapin Landvogt/HF)

After a run of 14 years of winning medals at the World Junior Championship, which included a string of five straight gold medals, Team Canada leaves Ufa, Russia empty-handed after losing to Russia 6-5 in overtime in a thrilling bronze medal match.

Photo: Edmonton Oilers prospect Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has shown no fall-off this season in his offensive output, whether he is playing in the AHL or at the 2013 World Juniors (courtesy of David Maxwell/Getty Images)

Photo: Newly-signed Edmonton Oilers prospect Justin Schultz (#6) will begin his pro career after a strong NCAA career with the University of Wisconsin (courtesy of Elsa/Getty Images)

The expectations have been building for the Edmonton Oilers, and the time has come to deliver. After half a decade at or near the bottom of the NHL standings, the club now has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to young talent. This is true not only of graduated, full-time NHL players but also of the team’s prospects.

Photo: Russian forward Nail Yakupov is the third player in a row the Edmonton Oilers have selected with the first overall pick of the NHL Draft. (Jeanine Leech/Icon SMI)

After a pair of seasons at the bottom of the NHL, the Edmonton Oilers got lucky in 2012 and won the draft lottery, securing a third consecutive first overall pick in the process. In the lead up to the big event in Pittsburgh, much was made that Edmonton might be looking at someone other than consensus top pick Sarnia Sting winger Nail Yakupov, with many suggesting they would select Everett Silvertips blueliner Ryan Murray (CLB). When the dust settled however, the consensus was accurate and Yakupov is now an Oiler.